Goku



Son Goku, addressed only as Goku in most English adaptations) is a fictional character and the main protagonist of theDragon Ball franchise created by Akira Toriyama. He first appears in the manga chapter Bulma and Son Goku ) first published in Japan's Weekly Shōnen Jump magazine on December 3, 1984.[1] He is loosely based on Sun Wukong, a central character in Journey to the West. However, Toriyama changed some of his characteristics to be more original. Goku is introduced as an odd, monkey-tailed boy who practices martial arts and possesses superhuman strength.[2] As the story unfolds, he is revealed to be from a race ofextraterrestrials called Saiyans, said to be the strongest warriors in the universe.[3]

Goku has starred in most of the episodes, films, TV specials, and OVAs of the anime series Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, Dragon Ball GT, andDragon Ball Z Kai, as well as many of the spin-off video games. Due to the series' widespread popularity in many countries, he has become one of the most recognizable and iconic anime characters worldwide. Outside of the Dragon Ball franchise, Goku has had cameo appearances in Toriyama's self-parody series Neko Majin Z. He has also been the subject of other parodies, and has appeared in various special events and in American pop culture.